Manon Fiorot is aiming to hit the rankings with an impressive showing at UFC Fight Night 189.
Fiorot (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former Extreme Fighting Championship and UAE Warriors champion, put the flyweight division on notice when she finished Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Victoria Leonardo in her promotional debut at at UFC on ESPN 20 in January.
She’ll be facing a significant step up in competition when she takes on American Top Team’s Maryna Moroz on June 5. Moroz already has faced the likes of former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza, flyweight contender Joanne Calderwood and Angela Hill.
So by drawing an experienced fighter like Moroz (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), furious finisher Fiorot thinks another stoppage win should net her a spot in the rankings.
“I think it’s a great matchup for me because of her style,” Fiorot told MMA Junkie. “We’re going to have a great fight. It’s a real test, and I think if I have a big performance, it’ll allow me to climb the rankings.
“If I win by knockout, I think it’ll propel me to the top 15. I predict that I’ll knock her out in the second or third round.”
Having finished five of her past six opponents, it’s no secret how Fiorot would like to see the fight play out. But the French fighter thinks after a few striking exchanges, Moroz likely will resort to her wrestling.
Moroz is 2-0 since moving to 125 pounds. But considering she recently moved up a weight class, Fiorot expects to have a strength advantage.
“I think the fight will start out on the feet, but after she stands with me, she’ll be shooting for the takedown and want to wrestle me,” Fiorot said. “I think if she wants to wrestle me and take cage control against me, I’m more powerful, I’m stronger – so it’ll be harder for her.”
Fiorot may only be 6-1 as a pro, but she has an extensive amateur background. The 31-year-old is ready to get fast tracked and her goal is to get at least one more fight in before the end of the year.
“At the end of the year, I want to step up in the top 10,” Fiorot said. “So focus on this fight now, and after I’ll work with my management to try and get one more fight before the end of the year and end up in the top 10.”